(-)-Gephyrotoxin-223 was formally synthesized from chiral synthon 1 which has been chemoenzymatically synthesized in the presence of CANDIDA ANTARTICA lipase.  

Objective: The general purpose of this study was to evaluate a new chromogenic medium "CANDIDA ID agar" for identification of CANDIDA species and compare it with CANDIDA CHROM agar.Materials and methods: 150 clinical samples were cultured on CANDIDA ID agar and CANDIDA CHROM agar. The isolated yeasts were also identified using APi kit system and the results compared with CANDIDA ID agar and CANDIDA CHROM agar using laboratory test evaluation formula.Results: The sensitivity of CANDIDA ID agar was 96.4% which was more than that in CANDIDA CHROM agar of 51% especially for CANDIDA albicans.Conclusion: CANDIDA ID agar was more useful for identification of CANDIDA albicans and differentiation of other CANDIDA species in compare with CHROM agar.

Objective: The aim of this study is to survey the presence of CANDIDA among the clinical isolates and the evaluating the phenotypic diagnostic methods to distinguish CANDIDA dubliniensis from CANDIDA albicans. Materials and Methods: The present study evaluated 520 clinical isolates through five phenotypic methods of differential diagnosis. The methods were performed in two stages of probable diagnosis and absolute diagnosis (supplementary test). In the first stage, colony colour in CHRO Magar CANDIDA medium, and chlamydocanidia in casein agar grown at 45°C were assessed. The isolates that demonstrated the characteristic of CANDIDA dubliniensis at this stage were tested in the second stage in terms of assimilation of terehalose and xylose and intercellular β-D-glucosidase activity. Results: 13 out of the 520 isolates suspected to CANDIDA dubliniensis were diagnosed to in the first stage. In the second stage, five were identified as CANDIDA dubliniensis using supplemental tests, which contained 4 isolates from the vagina and one from urine. Conclusion: The present study determined the incidence of CANDIDA dubliniensis in vagina, urine and total of the clinical isolates to be 1.33%, 0.74% and 0.96%, respectively. According to the findings of this study, among the phenotypic methods of differential diagnosis, use of CHROM agar CANDIDA medium with intercellular β-Dglucosidase activity for fresh isolates obtained from clinical specimens is suggested, whereas, for the isolates obtained from subcultures, phenotypic methods are not recommended.      

Isolates of the yeasts CANDIDA membranifaciens, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Pichia guilliermondii obtained from healthy apples were evaluated as potential bio. control agents for apple gray mold caused by Botrytis mali and B. cinerea. In-vitro volatile metabolites emitted from all yeast isolates inhibited the mycelial growth of B. mali and B. cinerea by 82.7 to 97.7 and 81.2 to 98.3 percent, respectively. Each of the yeasts significantly reduced the decay area in apples inoculated with the pathogens C. membranifaciens A2, A4, A5 and P. guilliermondii A6 had the greatest effect on decay reduction at 4oC, 20oC and 20±3oC. The populations of C. membranifaciens A2 and C. membranifaciens A5 during the experiment increased in apple wounds at 4oC.

The incidence of CANDIDA vulvovaginitis caused by non-albicans CANDIDA species is dramatically rising. Most non-albicans species have higher azole MICs and infections caused by them are often difficult to treat. Accurate diagnosis depends on cultures methods that will yield correct identification of CANDIDA species. Vaginal discharges were obtained from 122 women with acute (n=61) and recurrent (n=61) CANDIDA vulvovagintis. All specimens were inoculated on CHROM agar medium to identify CANDIDA species and detection of mixed infection. In order to confirm the diagnosis, all isolates also plated on cornmeal agar and identified by carbohydrate assimilation using API20C cards.A total of 127 isolates were obtained from 122 vaginal specimens cultured on CHROM agar medium. 5 patients had mixed infection with two species. CANDIDA albicans was the most common isolated species from acute (82.7%) and recurrent (57.8%) patient groups and the most common non-albicans species identified by this method was CANDIDA krusei. Cornmeal agar test showed that 22.2% and 45.3% of the isolates were non-albicans species in acute and recurrent cases respectively. But API20C test revealed that CANDIDA glabrata was the most common non-albicans species isolated in this study.Infection with non-albicans CANDIDA species is more common in recurrent CANDIDA vulvovaginitis. CHROM agar is a useful medium in detection of mixed CANDIDA infection. But in spite of its ability in identifying CANDIDA albicans and non-albicans species in some situation, this medium is not reliable for definite diagnosis of CANDIDA species.

Now a day, one of the new methods, using ionized gasses generated by cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) for the purpose of sterilization of dairy products. In this research, the effects of CAP on to inoculated milk andCANDIDA albicans were studied. Therefore, Sterilized milk with 3% fat, CANDIDA albicans fungi and CAP produced by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) were used.CANDIDA albicans culturing was done in liquid Luria-Bertani (LB) medium and about 5.5× 105 colonies per milliliter of milk were inoculate. Then, the treatment of CAP on inoculated milk was done for 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 minutes. In order to determine the CFU analysis, the treated samples were cultured on LB medium. Also, The variations of total content of free radicals and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of milk after CAP treatment assayed by FRAP analysis, and Also lipid peroxidation of milk detected by evaluation malondialdehyde (MDA) using thiobarbituricacid. The results showed that by increasing the time of CAP treatment, the inactivity of fungi cells was enhanced. And, the minimum time required for sterilization of contaminated milk andCANDIDA albicansgrowth ceasing is 9 minutes. Generally, after this period of treatment time no growth was seen in the solid LB medium. As well as, comparing assayed levels of MDA and TAC between treated and control samples showed no significant differences. These results proposed that the CAP treatment could be appropriate way for sterilization ofCANDIDA albicans -contaminated cow milk.

Introduction & Objective: CANDIDA species can cause opportunistic infections in human.Although CANDIDA albicans is major pathogenic species, non-albicans species of CANDIDA such as C. glabrata, C. tropicalis and C. krusei have been increasingly reported.Identification of CANDIDA species is essential for effective antifungal therapy and for infection control purposes. In the present study the commercial medium CHROMagar CANDIDA was used as a differential method for identification of the yeasts isolated from patients.Materials& Methods: Sixteen standard strains of CANDIDA and non-CANDIDA yeasts were used as the reference cultures. 280 yeasts isolated from the patients referred to two Medical Mycology Laboratories in Tehran were cultured on the chromogenic medium CHROMagar CANDIDA.The cultures incubated for 48 h at 35°C and were differentiated based on the color of coloniesin comparison with the standard strains. For colonies with unspecific color, a PCR-RFLP method was performed.Results: The most frequent species were CANDIDA albicans(66.5%) followed by C. parapsilosis (8.6%), C. tropicalis (8.2%), C. glabrata (6.1%), C. krusei (4.6%), C. kef);r (2.5%), C. guilliermondii (0.7%), C. lusitania (0.35%) and Cryptococcus neoformans (0.35%).Conclusion: CHROMagar CANDIDA can be a simple and straight-forward method for specific differentiation of medically important CANDIDA species including C. albicans. C. krusei, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata, but not for all CANDIDA isolates. More phenotypic or genotypic methods are necessary for exact identification of other CANDIDA species.

Background and Aim: Fungal infections, especially CANDIDA species, are the most common opportunistic fungal infections and the treatments with chemical drugs have many side effects. Melissa Officinalis has antimicrobial effects that has caused it to be considered in many microbial treatments. In this study, it has been tried to compare this herbal efficacy onCANDIDA Albicans, CANDIDA Glabrata and CANDIDA Krusei.Methods: Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Melissa Officinalis was obtained by drench method. The diameter of non- growing zone of CANDIDA Albicans, CANDIDA Glabrata and CANDIDA Krusei was estimated by the micro dilution method.Results: The mean diameter of the non-growing zone related to the extracts on CANDIDA Albicans was 17.83 mm (versing 5.75 mm of aqueous extracts) and the mean diameter of the non-growing zone related to aqueous extracts on CANDIDA Glabrata and CANDIDA Krusei were 15.5 and 13.66 mm respectively (versing 10 and 7mm of ethanolic extracts).Conclusion: All extracts had an effect on non- growing fungal zone, however ethanolic extract of CANDIDA Albicans and aqueous extract of CANDIDA Krusei were more effective rather than the others. Also, there was no difference between the effect of Aqueous and ethanolic extracts in CANDIDA Glabrata.